How to Fill Helium Balloons

Written by contributing writer| 13/05/2017

Balloons are one of the staples of a birthday party (or any party for that matter). Nearly everyone has seen balloons filled with helium (a very light gas). Filling a helium balloon is a straight forward process that requires only a few components. Once you have filled the balloons, you will be able to tie them up and enjoy them as an inexpensive decoration.

Rent a helium tank at one of your local party stores or from a rental store. You could purchase one, but if you only need it for one party, it's more cost effective to rent it because you won't have to worry about storing it. You can pick it up from the store with the helium in it and when you are done, drop it off.

Stretch the balloon a few inches to loosen the latex. When putting the helium in the balloon, stretching it makes it expand with ease. This also makes it easier to put the balloon around the nozzle of the helium tank without causing a tear in the balloon.

Slide the balloon onto the nozzle so that the entire nozzle is inside the balloon. Make sure that there are no gaps between the balloon or nozzle that would allow for the helium to get out. Hold the balloon between your thumb and forefinger to create a seal.

Press down on the nozzle and allow for the helium to flow into the balloon. Hold down the nozzle gently for as long as you want and until the balloon reaches the desired size. Balloons can stretch quite a bit, so fill them up.

Pinching the neck of the balloon, pull it off of the nozzle. Tie a knot in the neck of the balloon so that the helium does not escape. Or, take a piece of ribbon and tie that around the neck of the balloon. While the former causes a tighter seal, the latter allows the balloons to be hung.